Apparatus and systems for powering supports for exoskeletons

ABSTRACT

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a charging apparatus for charging and/or powering a smart or powered crutch device. The crutch may include electronic circuitry as well as on board rechargeable power or energy source, and it may provide access to charge the power source using a charger system. The charger system may be a floor charger configured to receive a portion of the crutch such as the distal tip so as to facilitate the transfer of power from the charger to the crutch. The charger system may also be in the form of a wall charger and/or a portable system.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/263,468, entitled “Apparatus and Systems for Powering Supportsfor Exoskeletons,” filed Dec. 4, 2015, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

Embodiments of the current disclosure are directed toward mobilitysupports for providing gait/movement assistance, and more particularly,methods and apparatus for powering smart crutches that includeelectronic circuitry.

BACKGROUND OF THE FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

Various conditions contribute to the occurrence of disabilities inindividuals that restrict or eliminate the individuals' capabilities forsteady gait and/or movement, examples of which include neurological andphysical injuries. Exoskeletons (“external skeletons”) and supports suchas crutches have been used to allow such individuals regain some or allof their capabilities to stand and/or move about with little or noadditional support despite their disabilities.

SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Some embodiments of the disclosure provide a smart crutch chargingapparatus which comprises a base unit configured to supply a rechargingvoltage and current, at least one crutch receiving portion arranged onor within the base unit, at least one base terminal arranged within,thereon and/or proximate to each of the at least one crutch receivingportions, where upon at least a portion of a smart-crutch being receivedby, in and/or on the crutch receiving portion:

-   -   the at least one base terminal is configured to electrically or        magnetically couple with a corresponding crutch terminal of the        at least a portion of the smart-crutch, and    -   the base unit supplies the recharging voltage and current to the        smart-crutch so as to recharge a rechargeable power supply        contained in/on the smart-crutch.

Such embodiments may further include one and/or another of the followingfeatures:

-   -   the base unit is configured as a free-standing structure for        placement on a horizontal surface;    -   at least a portion of the smart-crutch comprises a distal end of        a smart-crutch, and the at least one crutch receiving portion is        configured to receive the distal end of a smart-crutch;    -   a stabilization means configured for retaining at least one        smart-crutch in an upright position upon the at least a portion        of the smart-crutch being received by, in and/or on the        receiving portion;    -   the base unit is configured as a wall-mounted unit;    -   the crutch receiving portion comprises a mounting clamp        configured with an opening for receiving the at least a portion        of smart-crutch;    -   the clamp is configurable in an open and a closed position,        where in the open position, the opening is configured to receive        the at least one portion of the smart-crutch, and in the closed        position: the at least one smart-crutch is retained by the        clamp; and/or the base terminal comes into contact and/or        proximity to the crutch terminal;    -   each of the base terminal and crutch terminal are configured to        physically contact one another upon the at least a portion of        the smart-crutch being received by, in and/or on the at least        one receiving portion;    -   each of the base terminal and crutch terminal are configured as        independent coils arranged proximate one another and configured        to recharge the rechargeable power supply of the smart-crutch        via inductive charging upon the at least a portion of the        smart-crutch being received by, in and/or on the at least one        receiving portion;    -   at least one conducting element, where at least a portion of the        at least one conducting element is arranged by, in and/or on the        at least one crutch receiving portion;    -   the conducting element comprises an magnetic core;    -   a transformer configured to convert alternating-current (AC)        received from a source of AC to direct-current (DC) for        supplying the voltage and current to recharge at least one        smart-crutch;    -   a power supply cable configured to electrically connect the        apparatus to a source of AC power;    -   a sensor, which may be selected from the group consisting of: a        pressure sensor, a proximity sensor, and a power level sensor        for sensing a power level of the rechargeable energy source, and        any combination of the foregoing;    -   a communications unit configured for communicating at least one        of a smart-crutch, a computing device/system, and an        exo-skeleton/soft-exosuit apparatus; and    -   a diode-bridge configured to harmonize polarities of the base        terminal and the crutch terminal.

In some embodiments, a smart-crutch charging system is provided whichmay comprise at least one smart-crutch charging apparatus according toany of the disclosed embodiments, and at least one smart-crutch.

In some embodiments, a smart-crutch charging system is provided whichcomprises at least one smart-crutch charging apparatus according to anyof the disclosed embodiments, at least one smart-crutch; and anexo-skeleton/exo-suit apparatus.

Some embodiments of the current disclosure also include a methodcomprising the steps of: configuring a base unit to supply a rechargingvoltage and current; arranging at least one crutch receiving portion onor within the base unit; and arranging at least one base terminalwithin, thereon and/or proximate to each of the at least one crutchreceiving portion. In some embodiments, upon at least a portion of asmart-crutch being received by, in and/or on the crutch receivingportion: the at least one base terminal is configured to electrically ormagnetically couple with a corresponding crutch terminal of the at leasta portion of the smart-crutch, and the base unit supplies the rechargingvoltage and current to the smart-crutch so as to recharge a rechargeablepower supply contained in/on the smart-crutch.

In some embodiments, the step of configuring the base unit to supply arecharging voltage and current includes arranging the base unit as afree-standing structure for placement on a horizontal surface. In someembodiments, configuring the base unit to supply a recharging voltageand current includes arranging the base unit as a wall-mounted unit.

Further, the method may comprise providing a stabilization meansconfigured for retaining at least one smart-crutch in an uprightposition upon the at least a portion of the smart-crutch being receivedby, in and/or on the receiving portion. In addition, the method maycomprise providing a transformer configured to convertalternating-current (AC) received from a source of AC to direct-current(DC) for supplying the voltage and current to recharge at least onesmart-crutch. The method may also include the step of configuring acommunications unit to communicate at least one of a smart-crutch, acomputing device/system, and an exo-skeleton apparatus. Further, themethod may comprise providing the smart-crutch and/or an exoskeletonapparatus.

In some embodiments, each of the base terminal and crutch terminal areconfigured to physically contact one another upon the at least a portionof the smart-crutch being received by, in and/or on the at least onereceiving portion. In some embodiments, each of the base terminal andcrutch terminal are configured as independent coils arranged proximateone another and configured to recharge the rechargeable power supply ofthe smart-crutch via inductive charging upon the at least a portion ofthe smart-crutch being received by, in and/or on the at least onereceiving portion.

It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing conceptsand additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided suchconcepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being partof the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, allcombinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of thisdisclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subjectmatter disclosed herein. It should also be appreciated that terminologyexplicitly employed herein that also may appear in any disclosureincorporated by reference should be accorded a meaning most consistentwith the particular concepts disclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings primarily are forillustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of theinventive subject matter described herein. The drawings are notnecessarily to scale; in some instances, various aspects of theinventive subject matter disclosed herein may be shown exaggerated orenlarged in the drawings to facilitate an understanding of differentfeatures. In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer tolike features (e.g., functionally similar and/or structurally similarelements).

FIG. 1 shows example embodiments of smart crutches configured forcharging via a floor charger.

FIG. 2 shows an example embodiment of a terminal alignment between adistal end of a crutch and a floor charger configured for receiving thedistal end in a wired charging arrangement.

FIG. 3A shows an example embodiment of a terminal alignment between adistal end of a crutch and a floor charger configured for receiving thedistal end in a wireless charging arrangement. FIG. 3B shows an exampleschematic illustration of coupling of a crutch's distal end to amagnetic core of a charger, according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 4A-B show example embodiment of a wireless charging mechanism fora wall mounted charger.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, methods, apparatus andsystems for providing gait/movement assistance, and more particularly,methods, apparatus and systems for powering smart crutches that includeelectronic circuitry are presented. Although amenable to variousapplications, specific embodiments are described herein, by way ofexample and not limitation, in order to illustrate the principles andfeatures of the invention.

In some embodiments, the smart crutches may be crutches that includeelectronic circuitry. The electronic circuitry may include anyelectronic component such as, but not limited to, lighting sources(e.g., flashing light, etc.), sensors (e.g., sensors for sensingpressure, motion, orientation, direction, tilt, location, elevation,temperature, voltage, current etc.), processing units, communicationsmodules (e.g., wireless), power sources (e.g., batteries) and/or thelike. These components allow the crutches to collect and log data, andprocess and/or transmit the collected and/or processed data to othercrutches and external devices such as smartphones, servers,exoskeletons, and the like. Further, the components may be configured toreceive data and/or instructions from the external devices (e.g.,wirelessly). Various aspects of the smart crutches and the exoskeletondevice, and interactions therebetween have been described in thefollowing publications, all of which are incorporated by referenceherein in their entireties:

-   -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/242,780, filed Oct.        16, 2015, and entitled “Apparatus and Systems for Controlling        Exoskeletons;”    -   PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/IL2016/051125,        filed Oct. 16, 2016, and entitled “Apparatus and Systems for        Controlling Exoskeletons;”    -   U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/189,148, filed Jul.        6, 2015, and entitled “Methods and Apparatuses for Exoskeleton        Attachment;”    -   U.S. Pat. No. 7,153,242, issued Dec. 26, 2006, filed May 24,        2001, and entitled “Gait-locomotor apparatus;”    -   U.S. Pat. No. 8,905,955, issued Dec. 9, 2014, filed Jan. 7,        2013, and entitled “Locomotion assisting device and method;”    -   US Patent Publication No. 2012/0101415, published Apr. 26, 2012,        filed Oct. 21, 2010, and entitled “Locomotion Assisting        Apparatus with Integrated Tilt Sensor;”    -   US Patent Publication No. 2013/0253385, published Sep. 26, 2013,        filed Mar. 21, 2012, and entitled “Motorized Exoskeleton Unit;”    -   US Patent Publication No. 2014/0005577, published Jan. 2, 2014,        filed Jun. 28, 2012, and entitled “Airbag for Exoskeleton        Device;” and    -   US Patent Publication No. 2014/0196757, published Jul. 17, 2014,        filed Jan. 17, 2013, and entitled “Gait Device with a Crutch.”

In some embodiments, the noted electronic circuitry may be powered by anenergy source that is rechargeable and/or replaceable. In some cases,these energy sources can be self-contained modules such as batteries,examples of which include, lithium ion batteries, alkaline batteries,nickel metal or nickel cadmium batteries, lead acid batteries, organicor non-organic supercapacitors, fuel cells, so-called smart batteries.In some embodiments, the energy sources may be integrated into thecrutches effectively permanently, and may not be at least routinelyremovable (e.g., their removal from a crutch may be accompanied bysevere damage to a host crutch). In such embodiments, the energy sourcesmay be rechargeable (e.g., without being removed from the crutch). Insome embodiments, the energy sources may be removable/replaceable. Insome embodiments, such replaceable or disposable energy sources may notbe chargeable (e.g., they may be single-use types) and may have to bereplaced once they are depleted.

In some embodiments, removable chargeable energy sources can berecharged with or without being removed from the host crutch. In someembodiments, the crutch may be configured to provide a convenient accessto the rechargeable energy sources so as to facilitate the charging ofthe energy sources by an external charging mechanism and/or the poweringof the electrical components of the crutch. For example, therechargeable energy sources can be recharged without necessarily beingdetached from the crutches the energy sources are powering. In suchembodiments where the energy sources may not have to be removed forcharging, manufacturing and other constraints associated with having anaccess for removing an energy source, which usually tend to increase thecost and complexity of the design and construction of the crutches, maynot be present. Whether removable or not, the rechargeable sources canbe recharged while still being attached to the crutches (e.g., residingwithin the crutches). Some of the disclosed embodiments of the presentdisclosure discuss apparatus, methods and system of powering smartcrutches and the energy sources that support them. Non-limiting examplesof such embodiments include a wired and/or wireless floor charger, awired and/or wireless wall charger, and a portable charger (e.g., travelcharger).

With reference to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, a floor charger 102 forcharging a smart crutch 101 wirelessly and/or via a wired connection isshown. The floor charger may comprise an AC-DC transformer circuit fortransporting, altering and/or converting an alternating current (AC)power source into a direct current (DC) power source that can be usedfor charging a rechargeable energy source of the crutch (which may be aremovable or non-removable part of the crutch) and/or poweringelectrical components of the mobility devices. Non-limiting examples ofthe rechargeable energy source include one or more of the battery typesdisclosed above. The charger 102 may be a base unit configured toreceive the distal end of a smart crutch 101 and provide stability tothe smart crutch 101 such that the smart crutch can remain coupled tothe charger 102 in a stable manner (e.g., stay substantially uprightwhen engaged with the charger 102). For example, the charger 102 mayinclude stability locks 103 that keep or lock in the crutch 101 in astanding position when the crutch 101 is inserted into the charger. Insome embodiments, another section of a crutch, instead of or in additionto the distal end of the crutch, may be used in charging the energysources of the crutch and/or powering the electrical sources of thecrutch. Such a section, however, may be configured to couple to or bereceived by the floor charger 102 so as to facilitate thecharging/powering process. While not being charged or powered, the floorcharger 102 may also be used to store the smart crutch 101. As such, thebase unit or charger 102 is configured to be a free-standing structurefor placement on a horizontal surface and capable of providing supportto the smart crutches. In some embodiments, the charger 102 may includea switch (not shown) that allows users to commence or interrupt thecharging process.

The floor charger 102 may be designed so as to have any shape and formso long as it is capable of receiving a distal or any other designatedend of the smart crutch 101 for charging and/or powering the crutch(e.g., by charging batteries contained within the crutch). For example,the floor charger 102 may be part of a home's décor (e.g., part of ahome's floor, furniture, etc.) or it can be a separate module containingthe above-noted components such as the transformer and the AC-DCadapter). In any case, the floor charger 102 may be configured toreceive a distal end of the crutch 101 and allow the transfer of energyto the crutch. The distal end of the crutches 101 may include bothpositive and negative terminals for contact with the receiving terminals(positive and negative as well, for example) of the floor charger 102.In some embodiments, the distal end may be covered with a shield such asrubber. Although the current disclosure discusses the distal end of thecrutch as the part of the crutch that is being received by the charger102, it is to be understood that all the embodiments of the disclosurealso apply to any other section of the crutch 101 that is configured tobeing received by the charger 102 so as to facilitate the charging ofthe energy or power sources of the smart crutch 101.

In some embodiments, the floor charger 102 may comprise sensors fordetecting and/or monitoring various states of the charger itself, ofcrutches being powered up, environmental conditions, etc. For example,the floor charger may comprise a power sensor (not shown) that monitorswhen a smart crutch 101 is charging, and provide feedback about thecharging process. For example, the power sensor may detect whether theperformance of the charging process has degraded (e.g., due to foreignobjects short circuiting, increasing electrical resistance orobstructing the contact between the crutch 101 and the floor charger102). Another reason for the degradation of the charging process can bethe possible degradation or defectiveness of the energy source of thecrutch 101 itself. Indications (and measures thereof) of the conditionsof the charging process, and by extension the energy source of thecrutch 101, and/or the contact between the crutch 101 and the charger102, may be determined from the rate of energy transfer from the charger102 to the crutch 101. The power sensor may also determine the amount ofenergy available (or depleted) in the energy source of the smart crutch101 (e.g., by measuring the percentage of power remaining in a batteryin the smart crutch). In some embodiments, the power sensor may alsodetermine the amount of time that may be needed to charge the powersource of the crutch 101 fully or to some determined power level. Forexample, the power sensor may determine, based on the rate of charging,the amount of charge remaining in a crutch's energy or power source,etc., the amount of time the crutch 101 needs to charge for the energyor power source to attain at a determined power level.

The floor charger 102 may also include other types of sensors, such as atemperature sensor to detect the internal temperatures of the floorcharger, the contact with the crutch and/or the surrounding environment(i.e., ambient temperature), a contact sensor (e.g., pressure sensor)for determining whether the smart crutch 101 is appropriately connectedto the floor charger 102, a proximity detector for detecting correctinsertion of smart crutch into the receiving charger 102 (for use, forexample, in facilitating the enabling/disabling of charging for safetyreasons). In some embodiments, the floor charger 102 may also include acommunications unit (e.g., comprises a wireless module) for transmittingthe sensed or any other gathered data to/from crutches, external servers(e.g., smartphones, etc.), exoskeletons etc. Examples of such datainclude the amount of power remaining in the power source of the crutch101, the length of time it would take to charge the power source to thedesired power level (as determined by the power sensor, for example),the efficiency of the charger in charging the power source (for example,as determined from the charging rate) and/or powering the electricalcomponents of the crutch, and/or the like. In such embodiments, thecommunications unit may also be configured to receive incoming data.Examples of incoming data include instructions from external devices toactivate or deactivate the charging of the power source of the crutch101, to set or modify charging settings (e.g., the time duration forcharging the power source, the power level the power source should becharged to (e.g., 100%, 75%, 50%, etc.), and/or the like. In someembodiments, such instructions may then be transmitted to a processingcircuitry for further processing as discussed below with respect tocertain embodiments. An additional application of the communicationsunit can be facilitating the capability to initiate crutch search whenthe crutch is not placed on the charger (e.g., location function tolocate a crutch via, for example, an audible alarm). For example, thecharger 102 and the crutch 101 may be configured to communicate witheach other (e.g., via anyone of wireless communication technologies suchas RFID, WiFi, and/or the like), a switch on the charger 102 may allow auser to activate an audible and/or visible alarm on the crutch (e.g.,via messages sent by the charger's communications unit to acorresponding one at the smart crutch 101) to aid in locating thecrutch. In some embodiments, the charger 102 may be configured togenerate an alarm (e.g., sound, visual, etc.) whenever the smart crutchenergy is depleted (as detected by the power sensor, for example) belowthe preprogrammed or adaptable threshold so that the charging of thecrutch's power source and/or the powering of the crutch is commenced (bya user, for example).

In some embodiments, the floor charger 102 may also include a processingunit for processing the gathered and/or received data. For example, thepower sensor may detect the level of power available in the energysource of the crutch 101, and the processing unit, based at leastpartially on the detected data from the power sensor, may calculate theamount of time that would be required to charge the energy source tofull capacity. As another example, the processing unit may receive datafrom the proximity detector, and determine correctness of the insertionof smart crutch distal. Further, based on one or more of the sensed orreceived data such as the temperatures of the charger 102 and/or thecrutch 101, the charging rate of the power source, etc., the processingunit may determined the efficiency of the charging process (i.e.,whether the charger has degraded or not). Upon making suchdeterminations, in some embodiments, the processing unit may then causethe activation of various segments of the charger 102 (e.g., activatethe charging of the crutch 101 when determining the power level is belowa threshold amount) or facilitate the transmission of suchdeterminations (eg., via the communications unit) to external devicessuch as exoskeletons, smartphones, etc.

In some embodiments, the communications unit of the floor charger 102may be configured to communicate any data, including informationgathered by the various sensors and/or data generated by the processingunit. For example, as mentioned above, the communications unit maytransmit and/or receive data to crutches, external servers, exoskeletons(e.g., the exoskeleton a smart crutch is associated with), etc. Otherforms of communication include visual (e.g., lights), audio, etc. Forexample, the communications unit may include a user interface and maydisplay in the interface the state of the floor charger (e.g., on, off,sleep, etc.), the power level of the energy source of the crutch 101(e.g., percentage of power available or missing), time duration forcharging the crutch power source and/or time duration left before thepower level attains some determined value (e.g., as supplied by a clockassociated with or contained within the floor charger), temperature,etc. Similar information may also be supplied via audio outputs. Forexample, a beeping alarm sound may indicate that a foreign object hasinterfered with the terminals of the floor charger where the smartcrutch is configured to be contacted. In some embodiments, thecommunication unit may also include a user interface for receiving inputdata from users. For example, the user interface may include a switchfor activating and deactivating the floor charger or a switch forlocating a crutch as discussed above. The interface may also beconfigured to receive the above-noted instructions that may includeinput data such as amount of charging time and/or the like.

With reference to FIG. 2, in some embodiments, a floor charger 202configured for receiving the distal ends of crutches 201 in a wiredcharging arrangement is shown. In such embodiments, “wired” refers tothe fact that the terminals on the crutches are in galvanic contact withterminals on the charger and the transfer of power between the floorcharger and the crutches is facilitated by a direct electrical contact.The floor charger 202 may include an AC/DC converter for transforming anincoming AC voltage into a DC voltage that can be used for chargingrechargeable energy sources and/or powering crutches. The amount of theDC voltage may depend on the power requirements of the crutches to bepowered as well as other considerations such as safety reasons andefficiency. For example, the amount of the DC voltage may be chosen soas not to exceed an appropriate electrical safety rating above whichexposure to the terminals of the floor chargers and/or the smartcrutches can be dangerous to humans and animals (e.g., no more than 60VDC). In some cases, the floor charger 202 may be designed so as toshield the terminals from exposure while still allowing contact andtransfer of charging energy between the floor charger and crutches. Forexample, a removable or fixed (i.e., permanent) cover can providemechanical protection to the terminals of the floor chargers and/or thesmart crutches while providing an access point for a portion of thecrutch 201 to make electrical contact with the charger 202. For example,the charger 202 may include an opening for the distal ends of crutches201 to be inserted and make contact with the terminals. Further, theopening may assume a shape or pattern that matches the shape of thedistal ends of crutches, allowing the distal end to effectively functionas also a key that unlocks the mechanical protection. An opening with aunique pattern, for example, may effectively be used as a gate keeperthat keeps most other objects out while allowing crutches with matchingdistal ends enter the floor charger and make contact with the terminals.

In some embodiments, one of the major advantages of wired charging maybe the high efficiency of power transfer between the floor charger andthe crutches (e.g., above about 90%, about 95%, about 98%, etc.). Thehigh efficiency can be at least partially the result of the relativelylow electrical resistance of wires in carrying and transferring the DCcurrent provided by the floor charger. In addition, the direct contactbetween the terminals of the floor charger and the smart crutch mayfacilitate the said high efficiency. However, there may be disadvantagesthat come from having direct contact between the crutches and the floorcharger, including the fact that for direct contact to take place, theremay have to be at least a small opening (as discussed above, forexample) exposing the terminals to moisture, dust and in generalcontaminants that disrupt and degrade the transfer of power from thecharger to the crutches. In order to offset these disadvantages amechanical protection approach may be implemented. For example, asexplained above, an opening with a unique pattern that can be unlockedonly by distal ends of a crutch having a matching pattern may providesuch mechanical protections.

With reference to FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the charging of crutchescan be accomplished wirelessly by a transformer, which can be used totransfer electrical energy from the floor charger 302 to the crutchesvia electromagnetic induction (which may include, for example, a powertransfer efficiency in the range from about 50% to about 80%, from about55% to about 75%, from about 60 to about 75%, etc.). For example, an ACsignal (e.g., transformed AC power from a standard wall outlet) may beused to excite a transmitting coil disposed within a floor charger 302.That is, the mains cable may initiate an AC in the transmitting coilthat in turn may induce a changing magnetic field within the floorcharger 302. For example, the transmitting (primary) coil 303 may bewound around a magnetic element such as an iron core disposed within thefloor charger 302, and the AC excited in the transmitting coil mayinduce a changing magnetic field. However, a changing magnetic field isknown to induce an AC voltage in a coil wound around the conductiveelement. As such, the induced, changing magnetic field may be used toinduce an AC voltage in the crutches by “conveying” the changingmagnetic field from the floor charger 302 to the crutches and inducingan AC voltage in a receiving (secondary) coil located in the distal end304 of the crutches. In such embodiments, AC voltage can be induced inthe receiving coil 304 when the distal end 301 of the smart crutchenters into a recess of the floor charger 302, which results in thereceiving coil 304 being wound around the magnetic element, as shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B. FIG. 3B shows a schematic illustration of the couplingof the distal end or tip 301 of the crutch to the charger 302. In suchembodiments, the crutches may include an AC/DC transformer that can beused to convert the induced AC voltage in the receiving coil into a DCpower that can be used to charge rechargeable energy sources and/orpower components of the crutches. In some of these cases, there may notbe an AC/DC transformer in the floor charger.

Besides the aforementioned power transformer which uses inductivecoupling between a pair of coils to transfer power, in some embodiments,there may be other techniques for wirelessly transferring power betweenthe floor charger and the crutches. For example, planar coils may beused for such applications. Other examples may use other types ofcoupling including capacitive coupling (energy transform via electricfield charging secondary electrode from the primary), magneto-dynamiccoupling (energy transfer from primary to secondary coil withoutmagnetic core), etc.

In contrast to wired charging systems, for wirelessly charging systems,the terminals of the floor charger and/or the crutch may be sealed toisolate the terminals from the surrounding environment and protect theirability to convey energy and their integrity. For example, the seals mayprotect the terminals from moisture, liquid, dust, extraneous objects,etc., that would otherwise interfere and/or short-circuit theconnections.

The wired and wireless charging systems of FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3A-B aredescribed above with respect to the embodiments of the floor charger,shown in FIG. 1, for example. However, in addition to or in place of afloor charger, the wired and wireless charging systems of the presentdisclosure can be realized in different forms. For example, the notedcharging systems can be realized as wall chargers. This may beadvantageous from practical considerations such as convenience for auser (in particular disabled user), compact storage, etc. All thefeatures of the floor charger discussed above may apply equally to wallchargers, except for the distinctions as discussed below. For example,the wall charger may comprise the above discussed sensors, processingunit, communications unit, and/or the like.

In realizing the wired and wireless charging systems as wall chargers,there may be some differences that arise that may be unique to wallcharging, or at least more pronounced in the case of wall charging. Forexample, the ways of mounting the crutches to the base charger (locatedon the wall as opposed to the floor charger above) and the placement ofthe terminals on the crutches are issues that have to be considered. Anytype of mounting method that could stably hold the crutches in place aslong as needed so as to allow the charging of the crutches from a wallcharger located in a wall can be used for realizing a wall chargingmechanism. For example, a “claw” or clamp type mount can be used tomount crutches to a wall charger. The mount may also have additionalfeatures that enhance convenience, safety, etc. For example, the clampmay be configured to automatically open and/or close whenever a smartcrutch is inserted and/or about to be inserted into the clamp so as toestablish contact between the crutch and the wall charger. This may beaccomplished by a proximity sensor in the wall charger, the wall, theclamp, and/or the smart crutch that senses closeness of the smart crutchto the clamp/wall charger, for example. In some embodiments, the closingof the clamp may be effected whenever any appropriately shaped object(e.g., cylindrical body with matching diameter as that of the clamp) isinserted in the clamp. In any of these wall mounting embodiments, therelease of a mounted crutch may be accomplished via any number ofmethods, including application of force (e.g., manual clamp), a releasebutton (e.g., with mechanical button located in the vicinity of theclamp), in an automatic fashion as described above (e.g., a proximitysensor senses movement of the smart crutch and facilitates the openingof the clamp) and a combination of above methods, etc.

In some embodiments, the clamps may also be used for the purposes ofterminal placement for the wall charger. For example, the clamp maycomprise one or more stripes of power terminals that can come intocontact with a smart crutch when the crutch is mounted on the wall. Inmost cases, these stripes may be located on the inside ring of clampsfor safety reasons, to allow firm contact between the terminals of theclamp (effectively the wall charger) and the crutches, and/or the like.There may be a plurality of stripes, and the stripes may represent acombination of positive and negative terminals. For example, theterminals can be a plurality of conducting stripes (e.g., metals)isolated from one another via a non-conducting spacer.

In such embodiments, the terminals on crutches may be configured so asto allow an efficient transfer of power between the wall charger and thecrutches when the crutches are mounted on the wall. The terminal stripeson the clamps and/or the crutches may be organized such that regardlessof the way a smart crutch is mounted on the wall or inserted into theclamp, power terminal stripes on the crutches come into contact withmatching stripes on the charger clamp. For example, a diode bridge(e.g., disposed in crutches) may be used to facilitate the transfer ofpower between the wall charger and the crutches whenever stripes on theclamp and the crutches come in contact regardless of polarity (i.e.,polarity of the mating stripes may become non-relevant as the diodebridge can allow the smart crutch to receive the energy regardless theinput polarity. This can be accomplished because diode bridges providesame polarity of output for either polarity of input, and whatever twostripes come in contact, the power is transferred with right polarity.Additional non conducting stripes or spacers may be introduced betweenconducting ones on the crutches so as to avoid short circuiting andfurther match the arrangement of terminal stripes on the clamp charger.In some embodiments, the transferring of the power (e.g., amount, rate,etc.) may be designed with safety considerations in mind. For example,the transferred power may have low enough voltage so as not to causedamage to a human or animal that may come into contact with theterminals during a charging process. In some embodiments, the proximitydetector may be used to sense an approach or touch by a subject so as tosuspend the charging until further indications are received by the wallcharger to resume charging. For example, similar to the discussion abovewith respect to the floor charger, the wall charger may comprise a userinterface for receiving input from users. In this example, a user mayinput instructions allowing the charging process to continue, in somecases including specifications for settings such as the duration of thecharging, the power level to be charged to, etc. In some embodiments, aprotective cover may be placed over the exposed terminals before orafter the mounting of the crutches.

With reference to FIGS. 4A-B, in some embodiments, a wireless chargingmechanism for a wall mounted charger is shown. The mechanism can includeseveral features of FIG. 3, which is directed to a floor chargingsystem, but adapted to a wall charging system. Using a non-limitingcylindrical-shaped set up for the crutches, FIG. 4A shows the receivingcoil 401 and the magnetic element 402 (e.g., an iron core) disposed orembedded within the body of the crutches. The transmitting or exitingcoil 403 can be disposed in the charging “clamp” 404 used to restrictand hold the crutches. The stripes of the clamp may include conductionmaterials and may have spiral structure. In some embodiments, theclosing of the clamp upon insertion of a crutch may form or complete thetransmitting coil and initiates the charging process. As a particularexample embodiment, the closing of the charging clamp 404 shown in FIG.4A may commence the charging of the crutch 405 when the crutch 405 isinserted and surrounded by the clamp 404, in some embodiments, similarto the discussion provided above with reference to the floor charger(FIGS. 3A-B), the magnetic element may “convey” magnetic energy towardsthe receiving core inside the crutches, which can induce AC voltage inthe receiving coil. An AC-DC transformer may then be used to transformthe AC power signal into DC for charging the rechargeable energy sourceor powering the electrical components within the crutches.

In some embodiments, a mobile charging system may be realized by using aportable power source instead of a “walled” power source. For example,all the features of the wall charger may be incorporated into thisportable charging system where the mounting interface may be via a cablerather than a wall. For example, the clamps type terminal may beattached to power cable configured to receiving power from wall ACadapter/charger or it can be fixed on the power cable connected toexoskeleton itself. The later example does not require AC/DC transformersince the exoskeleton is normally powered by DC power source. In suchembodiments, the crutches may be charged from the mains brick charger orfrom the exoskeleton associated with the crutches. In some embodiments,the floor charger as well as the wall charger discussed above may beimplemented so as to be a portable power source for charging the powersource of the crutch and/or powering the electrical components of thecrutch. For example, the floor charger and/or the wall charger may beequipped with a power source of their own. In some embodiments, thefloor charger and/or the wall charger may be coupled to anotherstructure or device, such as an exoskeleton, that may have access toeither DC or AC power.

While various inventive embodiments have been described and illustratedherein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision avariety of other means and/or structures for performing the functionand/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantagesdescribed herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications isdeemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments describedherein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciatethat all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations describedherein are meant to be an example and that the actual parameters,dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon thespecific application or applications for which the inventive teachingsis/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able toascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalentsto the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is,therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presentedby way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claimsand equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practicedotherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventiveembodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individualfeature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein.In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems,articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems,articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent,is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure. Stillfurther, some embodiments disclosed herein are distinguishable overprior art references by specifically lacking one or more featuresdisclosed in the prior art; that is, claims to such embodiments mayinclude negative limitations so as to be distinguished from the priorart.

Also, various inventive concepts may be embodied as one or more methods,of which an example has been provided. The acts performed as part of themethod may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments maybe constructed in which acts are performed in an order different thanillustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, eventhough shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.

Various implementations of some of embodiments disclosed, in particularat least some of the processes discussed (or portions thereof), may berealized in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry,specially configured ASICs (application specific integrated circuits),computer hardware, firmware, software, and/or combinations thereof.These various implementations, such as associated with the controller254, for example, may include implementation in one or more computerprograms that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmablesystem including at least one programmable processor, which may bespecial or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructionsfrom, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storage system, atleast one input device, and at least one output device.

Such computer programs (also known as programs, software, softwareapplications or code) include machine instructions/code for aprogrammable processor, for example, and may be implemented in ahigh-level procedural and/or object-oriented programming language,and/or in assembly/machine language. As used herein, the term“machine-readable medium” refers to any computer program product,apparatus and/or device (e.g., non-transitory mediums including, forexample, magnetic discs, optical disks, flash memory, Programmable LogicDevices (PLDs)) used to provide machine instructions and/or data to aprogrammable processor, including a machine-readable medium thatreceives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term“machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to provide machineinstructions and/or data to a programmable processor.

To provide for interaction with a user, the subject matter describedherein may be implemented on a computer having a display device (e.g., aLCD (liquid crystal display) monitor and the like) for displayinginformation to the user and a keyboard and/or a pointing device (e.g., amouse or a trackball, touchscreen) by which the user may provide inputto the computer. For example, this program can be stored, executed andoperated by the dispensing unit, remote control, PC, laptop,smart-phone, media player or personal data assistant (“PDA”). Otherkinds of devices may be used to provide for interaction with a user aswell. For example, feedback provided to the user may be any form ofsensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactilefeedback), and input from the user may be received in any form,including acoustic, speech, or tactile input. Certain embodiments of thesubject matter described herein may be implemented in a computing systemand/or devices that includes a back-end component (e.g., as a dataserver), or that includes a middleware component (e.g., an applicationserver), or that includes a front-end component (e.g., a client computerhaving a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a usermay interact with an implementation of the subject matter describedherein), or any combination of such back-end, middleware, or front-endcomponents.

The components of the system may be interconnected by any form or mediumof digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examplesof communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”), a widearea network (“WAN”), and the Internet. The computing system accordingto some such embodiments described above may include clients andservers. A client and server are generally remote from each other andtypically interact through a communication network. The relationship ofclient and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on therespective computers and having a client-server relationship to eachother.

Any and all references to publications or other documents, including butnot limited to, patents, patent applications, articles, webpages, hooks,etc., presented anywhere in the present application, are hereinincorporated by reference in their entirety. Moreover, all definitions,as defined and used herein, should be understood to control overdictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated byreference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in thespecification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to thecontrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in theclaims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements soconjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some casesand disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with“and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” ofthe elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be presentother than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause,whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified.Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when usedin conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer,in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other thanB); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elementsother than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionallyincluding other elements); etc.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should beunderstood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. Forexample, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall beinterpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, butalso including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and,optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated tothe contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when usedin the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactlyone element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or”as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusivealternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded byterms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or“exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims,shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “atleast one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should beunderstood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more ofthe elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including atleast one of each and every element specifically listed within the listof elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the listof elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally bepresent other than the elements specifically identified within the listof elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether relatedor unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as anon-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “atleast one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) canrefer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including morethan one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements otherthan B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally includingmore than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elementsother than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionallyincluding more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including morethan one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitionalphrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,”“containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are tobe understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limitedto. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consistingessentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases,respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual ofPatent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.

1. A smart crutch charging apparatus comprising: a base unit configuredto supply a recharging voltage and current; at least one crutchreceiving portion arranged on or within the base unit; at least one baseterminal arranged within, thereon and/or proximate to each of the atleast one crutch receiving portion, wherein upon at least a portion of asmart-crutch being received by, in and/or on the crutch receivingportion: the at least one base terminal is configured to electrically ormagnetically couple with a corresponding crutch terminal of the at leasta portion of the smart-crutch, and the base unit supplies the rechargingvoltage and current to the smart-crutch so as to recharge a rechargeablepower supply contained in/on the smart-crutch.
 2. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the base unit is configured as a free-standing structure forplacement on a horizontal surface.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, whereinat least a portion of the smart-crutch comprises a distal end of asmart-crutch, and wherein the at least one crutch receiving portion isconfigured to receive the distal end of a smart-crutch.
 4. The apparatusof claim 1, further comprising a stabilization means configured forretaining at least one smart-crutch in an upright position upon the atleast a portion of the smart-crutch being received by, in and/or on thereceiving portion.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base unit isconfigured as a wall-mounted unit.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, whereinthe crutch receiving portion comprises a mounting clamp configured withan opening for receiving the at least a portion of smart-crutch.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 6, wherein the clamp is configurable in an open and aclosed position, wherein in the open position, the opening is configuredto receive the at least one portion of the smart-crutch, and wherein inthe closed position: the at least one smart-crutch is retained by theclamp; and/or the base terminal comes into contact and/or proximity tothe crutch terminal.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of thebase terminal and crutch terminal are configured to physically contactone another upon the at least a portion of the smart-crutch beingreceived by, in and/or on the at least one receiving portion.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the base terminal and crutchterminal are configured as independent coils arranged proximate oneanother and configured to recharge the rechargeable power supply of thesmart-crutch via inductive charging upon the at least a portion of thesmart-crutch being received by, in and/or on the at least one receivingportion.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising atleast one conducting element, wherein at least a portion of the at leastone conducting element is arranged by, in and/or on the at least onecrutch receiving portion.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein theconducting element comprises an magnetic core.
 12. The apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising a transformer configured to convertalternating-current (AC) received from a source of AC to direct-current(DC) for supplying the voltage and current to recharge at least onesmart-crutch.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a powersupply cable configured to electrically connect the apparatus to asource of AC power.
 14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising asensor.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the sensor is selectedfrom the group consisting of: a pressure sensor, a proximity sensor, anda power level sensor for sensing a power level of the rechargeableenergy source, and any combination of the foregoing.
 16. The apparatusof any of claims 1-15, further comprising a communications unitconfigured for communicating at least one of a smart-crutch, a computingdevice/system, and an exo-skeleton apparatus.
 17. The apparatus of anyof claims 1-15, further comprising a diode-bridge configured toharmonize polarities of the base terminal and the crutch terminal.
 18. Asmart-crutch charging system comprising: at least one smart-crutchcharging apparatus according to any of claims 1-15; and at least onesmart-crutch.
 19. A smart-crutch charging system comprising: at leastone smart-crutch charging apparatus according to any of claims 1-15; atleast one smart-crutch; and an exo-skeleton apparatus.
 20. A method,comprising: configuring a base unit to supply a recharging voltage andcurrent; arranging at least one crutch receiving portion on or withinthe base unit; and arranging at least one base terminal within, thereonand/or proximate to each of the at least one crutch receiving portion;wherein upon at least a portion of a smart-crutch being received by, inand/or on the crutch receiving portion: the at least one base terminalis configured to electrically or magnetically couple with acorresponding crutch terminal of the at least a portion of thesmart-crutch, and the base unit supplies the recharging voltage andcurrent to the smart-crutch so as to recharge a rechargeable powersupply contained in/on the smart-crutch.
 21. The method of claim 20,further comprising providing a stabilization means configured forretaining at least one smart-crutch in an upright position upon the atleast a portion of the smart-crutch being received by, in and/or on thereceiving portion.
 22. The method of claim 20, wherein configuring thebase unit to supply a recharging voltage and current includes arrangingthe base unit as a free-standing structure for placement on a horizontalsurface.
 23. The method of claim 20, wherein configuring the base unitto supply a recharging voltage and current includes arranging the baseunit as a wall-mounted unit.
 24. The method of claim 20, wherein each ofthe base terminal and crutch terminal are configured to physicallycontact one another upon the at least a portion of the smart-crutchbeing received by, in and/or on the at least one receiving portion. 25.The method of claim 20, wherein each of the base terminal and crutchterminal are configured as independent coils arranged proximate oneanother and configured to recharge the rechargeable power supply of thesmart-crutch via inductive charging upon the at least a portion of thesmart-crutch being received by, in and/or on the at least one receivingportion.
 26. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing atransformer configured to convert alternating-current (AC) received froma source of AC to direct-current (DC) for supplying the voltage andcurrent to recharge at least one smart-crutch.
 27. The method of claim20, further comprising configuring a communications unit to communicateat least one of a smart-crutch, a computing device/system, and anexo-skeleton apparatus.
 28. The method of any of claims 20-27, furthercomprising providing the smart-crutch.
 29. The method of any of claims20-27, further comprising providing the smart-crutch and an exoskeletonapparatus.